


A view

by Gavranica



Category: Maleficent (Disney Movies)
Genre: F/M, Public Nudity, Silent battle of wits
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:40:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26165041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gavranica/pseuds/Gavranica
Summary: Maleficent escorts a painter in the Moors. An unexpected view grips the artist's attention.
Relationships: Diaval/Maleficent (Disney)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 123





	A view

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place shortly after Aurora was crowned the queen of the Moors.

_This is for Aurora's sake_ , Maleficent had to remind herself. _This is for Aurora's sake, and therefore I will not do anything...rash._

Yesterday, when Maleficent and Diaval were visiting Aurora in Perceforest, the young queen informed them of a noblewoman who had requested a permission to venture into the Moors in order to paint the landscapes and the Moorfolk, if they be willing. 

Aurora was beaming. She thought it was a brilliant opportunity for the humans and the fair folk to establish a friendly bond, of which they were in short supply. The noblewoman in question was a widow of a powerful lord, and she had inherited not only her late husband's lands and wealth, but also his name and the influence that went with it. And she was said to be a respectable artist whose paintings were held in high regard among powerful people. If she would manage to capture the beauty of the fair folk and their land, perhaps her peers would be more prone to see them in a good light.

Maleficent thought it was a _horrible_ idea. 

Aurora...disagreed. And then, that traitorous raven sided with the Beastie. Faced with their combined persuasive skills, Maleficent agreed to...make some allowances.

She most certainly did _not_ lose that battle. She was merely making a tactical retreat.

As a result, Maleficent was currently riddled with a duty of babysitting a human in the Moors - two humans, to be exact; the noblewoman's servant was also escorting them, a young fellow whose handsome face was waxen with fear, which made Maleficent's mood somewhat better. Both humans were following Maleficent on horses, while the fairy herself walked, her wings swooping the ground behind her as she led them to the river. In every moment, she was careful not to turn her back at them. The scrawny boy didn't appear to be cut out for a backstabbing assassin, but the woman was unnervingly calm and looking to be in a good physical shape.

The boy's presence reminded her strongly that her own right hand raven-man was currently absent. She had sent him the night before to check on some suspicious gatherings of a fraction of villagers who were not entirely happy with their kingdom sharing a queen with the Moors; something she wasn't keen on sharing with Aurora until she was certain that the rumors were true (likely), or that Maleficent could not deal with the rebels herself (very unlikely).

The fact that Diaval hadn't returned yet was getting more alarming with every hour that passed. Maleficent was certain she would sense if something happened to him, bound together by her magic as they were...but never before had she had the opportunity to test that hypothesis. Diaval was a clever, level-headed bird, and he knew how to keep his feathered butt safe.

If he was deliberately late, because he knew she could use his knowledge of human customs and his silver tongue in this pointless endeavour, and he chose to let her squirm a little, in his indirect way of reminding her that she did, in fact, still need him, despite having her wings back...she was going to have him in a beetle form for weeks.

"Your land is every part as as lovely as Queen Aurora described", the woman's quiet voice snapped Maleficent out of her thoughts. She realized they had been silent for the most of the way. 

"Indeed." She paused. "Thank you."

"The inhabitants appear very friendly. And charming", the woman chuckled as a dandelion pixie fluttered in front of nose. 

"Then I should take you to the Dark pond. There are much darker creatures that dwell there", Maleficent retorted and got and instant wish to bite her tongue. This was very likely the exact opposite of what she was supposed to be saying. Diaval would know exactly what to say. Where was that wretched bird? 

"I was told there can be no light without the darkness", the woman replied with a hint of a smile. Unlike her, the young servant was giving the impression of constantly swallowing back terrified squeaks, which he unsuccessfully tried to stiffle in his throat.

Maleficent crooked her neck and made an effort of glancing at the woman. What was her name? It escaped Maleficent, though Aurora introduced them. She was a middle aged woman, still good looking, with curly red hair, silver strands only starting to appear at the temples, that was secured at her neck with massive copper rings. Her eyes were unafraid, calm and dark, reminding Maleficent disturbingly of her missing raven. Her riding dress was dark red, the color of blood, so her entire appearance stood out against the green and gold and brown of the Moors like a sore thumb. Or a wildfire in making.

"Wise words. Though one should always be careful not to wander too far in the dark. It's easy to get lost."

"We are glad do have you here with us, then", the Red gave an amused smile. Maleficent responded with a wide, fanged grin. 

Instead of becoming pallid with fear, the Red _winked_ at her.

Oh, that wouldn't do at all. Maleficent had almost two decades worth of practicing instilling fear in a creature of a similar attitude. Not that she had that much of actual success in making Diaval fearful, though, but she did have _practice_ , curse it. 

Just before she could say something along the lines of ' _Do you have something in your eye? I can pluck it out easily_ ', she spotted a very familiar black shape gliding above the river, then dissappearing out of her view, down below the cliff they were approaching.

Had Maleficent been alone, she would call out to him, or dive in the air to meet him, or both. But as she was, she couldn't allow herself to show her enormous relief to these strangers, let alone turn her back to them. Instead, she waved her hand at the Red and the boy to come, and led them with swift, sharp steps up to the edge of the cliff. 

The view was breathtaking from here, she knew. Below them, a lazy body of the seemingly endless river snaked slowly, encircling tall stone formations and small islands on which wallerbogs and water sprites played. There were misty mountains in the distance, covered with desnse forest that glimmered with magical creatures, and grassy hills that appeared golden-green in the morning sunlight, and bogs colorful with flower pixies that swarmed at their edges. Maleficent wasn't surprised to hear a gasp of awe from the Red, and even the boy seemed to forget his fear for a moment, muttering ' _oh my goodness'._

Her own attention, however, other than minding if any of the two was unsheating a blade weapon behind her back, was turned to the black bird that landed at the riverbank and was preening furiously, water splashing around him in his exuberance. Maleficent's eagle eyesight was able to spot, even from this distance, rivulets of black and brown coming off his feathers. Whatever incident had delayed him, it left him dirty, but unharmed. 

Her relief was suddenly joined with anger. That sefish, vain bird knew she was waiting for him, knew she expected his assistance, knew she wanted his report, and certainly knew she was concerned, a little bit - and yet, rather than hurrying at her side, he decided to have a complete grooming session, with bathing and preening and perhaps a bit of a quick snack if a tasty beetle came along, leaving his mistress in waiting, while he was...frolicking at the riverbank.

Oh, he was not going to get away with it.

An idea formed in her mind. It might not only humble the vain raven, but with a little luck, scare the two meddlers away. They were dismounting their horses and taking out the painting equipment. Well, she was about to give the Red something memorable to paint. 

"If you decided to paint this scene, I advise you to take a special attention at the riverbank. The most amazing creatures dwell there", Maleficent drawled out lazily. 

She picked a moment when Diaval lowered his head down to the water, and whispered in her mind: _into a man_.

The transformation was swift, caught him completely off guard, and just as she had expected, the sudden change in his body proportions, combined with his forward leaning posture, had him tumbling ungracefully in the river, the splash sending a flock of water sprites in the air, chittering angrily.

"Oops", Maleficent said.

The boy yelped and stumbled backwards, losing balance and falling at his posterior. The Red, however, only smiled with amusement. "Aw, poor thing", she said. Half of Maleficent's fun was ruined. The woman was cool as ice.

"What- was that- _that_?" The boy stuttered, shaking like a leaf. Ah, that was better.

"Calm down, Jeremy. Set the stand and the canvas, please."

Maleficent watched Diaval standing up in the river, water pouring from his black hair and clothing, his expression guarded. It took him about four seconds to locate Maleficent and her company at the cliff above him. He stared at his mistress, while all three of them stared at him, and Maleficent waited for him to start the undignified walk from the river up the ravine and the winding, narrow path which connected the riverbank and the cliff tops. She wasn't about to have him mercifully returned to his winged shape. He had left her waiting; now he will be left walking, wet and embarrased, and facing the royal visitor with his human eyes and voice, knowing full well she witnessed his little accident. He won't be able to hide his shame as he would in his original form.

But Diaval decided to ante up. And he was shameless.

Instead of dragging himself out of the water, he straightened himself to his full height, and slowly begun taking his sodden clothes off.

_Oh no, he will not._

He did.

First his coat came off, then his shirt. He then dove underwater shortly, only to get to his feet again, standing in the water that was just slightly below his waist, and he ran his hands through his hair to run the water out of it. It ran down his bare back, made way down his scarred chest and well-toned abdomen. 

When his hands got to his belt and started undoing it, the Red's servant cried: "Milady! For goodness sake, we should - !"

"Oh, do be quiet, Jeremy. Watch and learn", she said. Turning to catch Maleficent's eye, she continued: "My, my, what a beautiful view you have from up here. I could stare all day."

Maleficent was murderously silent. 

She was going to kill him for this insubordination. She was going to make a pillow out of his feathers and a necklace out of his bones.

oOo

Later that night, however, when the initial silent treatment, a subsequent heated argument, and a several non-consensual transformations into various crawling critters were over, and a series of clumsy, mostly non-verbal apologies from both sides begun, and they finally lay together, short of breath, limbs intertwined, in the warm safety of their nest, Maleficent concluded that killing him off might be a bit of an overreaction. 

oOo

"Milady, I have to point out, uh....the picture...you know; the one from today. From the...fairy land. With the...with the river. It is not...that is, I don't think, if I might speak freely..."

"It is not to be displayed in public, Jeremy. Worry not."

"Ah. That is a relief, milady."

"It goes straight to my sleeping chambers."


End file.
